Saturday, May 17, 2008

Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Rebooter

This cartoon by Mort Greenberg, which appeared in the New Yorker, then in a Fidelity Investments print ad in the New Yorker, and most recently in Last Laughs: Cartoons about Aging, Retirement… and the Great Beyond (Scribner, 2007) perfectly captures the ideal of rebooting – Leonardo da Vinci, the ultimate Renaissance man, in his studio, busy working on two things at once.

The housekeeper is saying to the visitor, “Oh you know with Leonardo, it’s never retirement, it’s always reinvention.”

The cartoon brings back fond memories of a visit I made some years ago to the Clos Luce manor house in Amboise, in the Loire Valley of France. This is where Leonardo, at the invitation of King Francois I, came to live when he was 65. He happily continued to paint, sketch, and work as an engineer, architect, and festival organizer for the King Francois I court in Amboise, spending the last three years of his life there. The manor house is now a Leonardo museum.

I was traveling with a group of Stanford Sloan classmates, including Mike Fitch, a highly regarded Wells Fargo banker with a well-tuned and mischievous sense of humor. As Mike and I were walking through the models and drawings, we got into some nonsense banter about how Leonardo might have interacted with “Jacques,” an imaginary person who might have been hanging around Leonardo’s workshop (perhaps the guy in the cartoon).

Jacques: “Hey Lennie! Whatcha doin’ today?”


Leonardo: “I’m inventing a helicopter.”

Jacques: “Oh.”

(Pause.)

Jacques: “Hey Lennie! What’s a helicopter?”


Leonardo: “It’s something to fly around in and report on traffic.

Jacques: “Oh.”

(Longer pause.)

Jacques: “Hey Lennie! What’s traffic?”

OK, you had to be there. There was much more. Too bad one of our classmates didn’t have a video camera. Our improv routine might have made it to YouTube.

"A well filled day gives a good sleep. A well filled life gives a peaceful death." -- Leonardo da Vinci

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, Lee I guess I am the first to see the humor in the Lennie posting. I think you are right, you had to be there to really appreciate the comments. Don't ask me how I happened upon this one while looking at your Reboot You website. It does bring back many fond memories and you will always be Lennie in my book. Thanks for the chuckle. Jeanette
(you know, the wife of the other guy)

Anonymous said...

Hey Lennie!

Thanks for the notoriety! Does our routine offer clues for rebooting? We're headed to Vietnam Feb 17 - Mar 7 . . .I'll be alert for possible additions to the routine.

Mike

Anonymous said...

Hello !.
might , probably curious to know how one can make real money .
There is no initial capital needed You may start to receive yields with as small sum of money as 20-100 dollars.

AimTrust is what you need
AimTrust incorporates an offshore structure with advanced asset management technologies in production and delivery of pipes for oil and gas.

It is based in Panama with structures around the world.
Do you want to become a happy investor?
That`s your choice That`s what you wish in the long run!

I feel good, I started to take up income with the help of this company,
and I invite you to do the same. If it gets down to choose a proper companion utilizes your funds in a right way - that`s the AimTrust!.
I take now up to 2G every day, and what I started with was a funny sum of 500 bucks!
It`s easy to start , just click this link http://teqawobeb.servetown.com/uzygys.html
and go! Let`s take this option together to get rid of nastiness of the life

Anonymous said...

[url=http://bariossetos.net/][img]http://hopresovees.net/img-add/euro2.jpg[/img][/url]
[b]software for online stores, [url=http://vonmertoes.net/]logos software discount[/url]
[url=http://hopresovees.net/][/url] windows xp service pack 2 free download software programs to buy
CS3 Extended Mac [url=http://bariossetos.net/]live stock price software[/url] educational discount on software
[url=http://hopresovees.net/]Pro Mac OS v10[/url] kaon software price comparison
[url=http://hopresovees.net/]purchase computer software[/url] buy cheap software discount coupon
price book software [url=http://vonmertoes.net/]shop sales software[/b]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://hopresovees.net/][img]http://bariossetos.net/img-add/euro2.jpg[/img][/url]
[b]kaspersky work space security reviews, [url=http://vonmertoes.net/]software with buy and sell[/url]
[url=http://vonmertoes.net/][/url] cheap oem software review kaspersky 7.0 free license
buy discounted software [url=http://hopresovees.net/]software shop com[/url] kaspersky 8.0.0.357 serial
[url=http://vonmertoes.net/]office 2003 oem software[/url] windows xp support
[url=http://vonmertoes.net/]buy cheap software online[/url] buy and sell software
the best software to buy [url=http://vonmertoes.net/]enabling form editor adobe acrobat 9[/b]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://hopresovees.net/][img]http://hopresovees.net/img-add/euro2.jpg[/img][/url]
[b]10 Advanced Retail Price, [url=http://vonmertoes.net/]i want a office 2007 enterprise edition product key[/url]
[url=http://hopresovees.net/][/url] Advanced Mac FileMaker buy game software
adobe photoshop cs4 academic version [url=http://bariossetos.net/]i want to sell my software[/url] Adobe Photoshop CS4
[url=http://vonmertoes.net/]software for downloading[/url] oem software store
[url=http://hopresovees.net/]buy cheap software reviews[/url] i want to sell my software
2007 Retail Price [url=http://bariossetos.net/]adobe acrobat 9 pro extended upgrade[/b]

Anonymous said...

[url=http://sapresodas.net/][img]http://sapresodas.net/img-add/euro2.jpg[/img][/url]
[b]purchase pdf software, [url=http://sapresodas.net/]discount software discount game[/url]
[url=http://sapresodas.net/]Acrobat Pro 8[/url] adobe photoshop cs4 mac serial it software purchase
kaspersky 8.0 updates [url=http://vioperdosas.net/]buy computer software[/url] computer software price comparison
[url=http://sapresodas.net/]discount software uk[/url] filemaker pro 10 upgrade
[url=http://sapresodas.net/]to buy dreamweaver cs3[/url] price tags software
discount filemaker pro [url=http://sapresodas.net/]source shop software[/url][/b]

Anonymous said...

Good day, sun shines!
There have been times of hardship when I didn't know about opportunities of getting high yields on investments. I was a dump and downright stupid person.
I have never imagined that there weren't any need in big initial investment.
Nowadays, I feel good, I begin take up real income.
It gets down to choose a correct partner who uses your funds in a right way - that is incorporate it in real business, and shares the profit with me.

You may ask, if there are such firms? I have to tell the truth, YES, there are. Please get to know about one of them:
http://theinvestblog.com [url=http://theinvestblog.com]Online Investment Blog[/url]

wine production said...

Hi I liked your information is very interesting ... these blogs about such interesting topics and I think I should love to offer more of these items as excellent ... thanks for the post

t4 hormone said...

Leonardo Da Vinci has been one of the greatest geniuses that has existed and also the best painter in my opinion ... once I went to see a picture of him and it was really wonderful

Anonymous said...

The second almost all attractive thing type of loan is definitely prospective great, a borrowing arrangement could be greater than that. There are numerous low credit ratings people and these loans guide all such individuals in getting the best answer to all their demands. Must have an engaged savings or banking account which has a united states bank. instant payday loans In fact, many professionals be aware that the sturdy are often the methods most likely to ask for help!

Anonymous said...

The applicant should be 18 years of age or over, having a steady job in a reputed business along with a stable income of $1000 as well as above. By simply furnishing right and regular information, the credit process could be perked way up. Few identifiers should be made complete is feedback monetary is offered supplement utilizing their Stafford or Perkins loans. sameday loans It is necessary for being patient with yourself so as to stop frustration because of high goals.